Klabautermann

See also: klabautermann

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Klabautermann.

Noun

Klabautermann

  1. a water sprite (or nix) who assists sailors and fishermen on the Baltic Sea in their duties

German

Etymology

Borrowed from German Low German [Term?]. Without doubt related, either originally or secondarily, to Dutch kabouter(man). Further etymology unsettled. Several roots seem to have influenced the word phonetically and semantically, it being difficult to determine the oldest form. Assumed influences include:

  • Middle Dutch cobbout (“goblin”), cognate of German Kobold.
  • Low German klatern, klattern, cognate of German klettern (“to climb”). Compare the attested Low German klâtermænneken n.
  • The verbs kalfatern (“to caulk”) and klabastern (“to knock, to rumble”) (compare Low German klabastern).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /klaˈbaʊ̯tɐˌman/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Klabautermann m (strong, genitive Klabautermannes or Klabautermanns, plural Klabautermänner, diminutive Klabautermännchen n)

  1. (nautical) Klabautermann (a two-faced goblin believed to be both helpful and inauspicious to a ship's crew)

Declension
Declension of Klabautermann [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Klabautermann die Klabautermänner
genitive eines des Klabautermannes, Klabautermanns der Klabautermänner
dative einem dem Klabautermann, Klabautermanne1 den Klabautermännern
accusative einen den Klabautermann die Klabautermänner

1Now rare, see notes.

Further reading
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